Animated advertising and display assembly



Oct. 26, 1965 c. H. CLEMENT ANIMATED ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

CLYDE H. CLEMENT BY I ATTORNEYS Oct. 26, 1965 c. H. CLEMENT ANIMATED ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j INVENTOR. CLYDE CLEMENT W fl/m- W fll'i'Ok/VEYS' United States Patent 6 3,213,557 ANIMATED ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY ASSEMBLY Clyde H. Clement, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-fourth each to Lawrence D. Nelson and Harold C. Conard, both of Phoenix, Ariz., Milton L. Morrison, Salina, Kans., and Kenneth Morrison, Hastings, Nebr.

Filed Nov. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 322,305 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-139) My invention relates to an improved animated advertising and display assembly. It relates more in particular to such an assembly which may be supported in front of, on top of, or contiguous to a factory, office, or retail business to attract the attention of prospective buyers and particularly prospective buyers who may be passing in an automobile or like vehicle.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an improved assembly of the type identified.

Another object is the provision of such an assembly in which the basic standard portions of the assembly are relatively very inexpensive, and wherein modified portions of the assembly may be very inexpensively produced for incorporation with the standard parts.

Still another object is the provision of an animated advertising and display assembly which may be simply produced without investment in expensive machinery and tooling.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a simplified form of apparatus which has been found very salable and has marked attention attracting properties;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view partially exploded showing the support and operating portions of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through the pivot looking along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view somewhat reduced in size as contrasted with FIG. 1 but showing a modification in the indicia employed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged View of the FIG. 4 design with the upper portion thereof partly broken away and shown partly in section to illustrate structural features;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the light tube employed in the letter housings and illustrating one manner of supporting the same, and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are fragmentary views showing modifications in which a display emblem is supported at an uppermost portion of the oscillating bar unit.

Referring now first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the device of my invention includes a relatively heavy base 11 which functions as a supporting frame and forms part of a housing 12 for the drive mechanism.

The drive mechanism includes a motor housing 13 with a motor and speed reducing gearing of common available type (not shown) from which a driven shaft 14 projects, which driven shaft 14 acts as the drive shaft for the moving parts of the assembly of the present invention.

A channel iron 16 is welded to the housing 13 and has a yoke 17 welded to its forward end. The yoke is also secured by welding to the housing where it projects through one end thereof as shown particularly in FIG. 1. Thus not only the base plate 11, but substantially the entire housing acts as a frame or support, although one side 18 may be made removable for inspection and/ or servicing. A rod 19 (FIG. 3) is welded to the yoke 3 ,213,557 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 Ill-13 17 and has a pair of spacers 21 which are welded to the rod, so that a sleeve 22 is free to move rotatably with respect to the rod between the two stops 21.

The rod 19 and sleeve 22 are of course by this construction placed outside of the housing 12. They act as a support for the moving part of the combination or assembly as will be explained. It may be pointed out first, however, that the housing and base 11 have four braced legs 23 which may be turned over to provide feet 24 and may be secured in any suitable position by anchoring bolts 26. Clearly speaking the apparatus may be self-supporting if merely set directly on the ground, but it is preferred that it be attached for many reasons. If it is to be attached to the ground then a usual form of supporting pillar will be used, or if it is to be attached for example to a low roof, normally a frame will be provided to which the feet 24 will be attached. My invention is not particularly concerned with the manner of support of the apparatus as with providing assurance that there is adequate room for the lower portion of the moving arm or bar to travel with respect to the support, and providing also that the assembly is held with sufiicient rigidity that it will not be dislodged from its point of attachment.

A cradle 27 in the form of a channel is welded at 28 to sleeve 22, reinforcing blocks 28 being provided which are welded both to the web portion of the channel comprising the cradle 27 and the contiguous or abutting portion of sleeve 22. A pair of attaching clamps are also provided, the pairs of clamps being indicated by the reference characters 29 and 31, and being identical except that the clamps 29 are welded to the inside of the channel comprising the cradle 27 shown particularly in FIG. 2. A generally tubular bar unit 32 is supported on the cradle and fixed with respect thereto by means of clamp members 31 and clamping bolts 33. As the drawings show the support for the bar unit 32 is intermediate its ends. Preferably from about 10% to about 40% of the bar unit projects downwardly from the point of support, although it is obvious that the nearer the support is to the center the better balance will be obtained. It is desired, however, that the attachment be intermediate the ends to obtain the proper movement to attract viewers. I have found that if between about one-fourth A) and one-third A) of the bar unit projects downwardly from the virtual pivot point, the most attractive or attention getting result is obtained. As the drawings show, the bar unit 32 is preferably generally tubular, although it may have at least one fiat side 36 which is entirely or partially removable to provide access to the inside of the tube. The diameter is suitably about four (4) to four and one-half (4 /2) inches, and being formed of aluminum or other light alloy, the en tire moving unit is relatively light and no heavy loads are involved. As the drawings show, the generally tubular bar unit 32 is provided with a top and bottom cap 37. In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, I provide means defining a line of luminescent tubes 38. I may also provide translucent housing 39 in the form of a suitable symbol (an Indian is shown in FIG. 1) which may be lighted from the inside to display such symbol. This symbol may be a device identifying a lodge or fraternal organization, it may comprise a representation of a trademark in three dimensions, or any other type of display.

For describing in further detail the manner of operating the first described device, reference may be made to the unit shown in FIG. 4, in variations thereof such as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

In FIG. 4 there are four letter blocks 41 used spelling from top to bottom the word Cafe. Each letter block includes a plastic housing 42 with a raised letter 43 on each side. Any difference in color or texture between the housing itself and the letter portion will of course show up when a light is provided inside the housing. In the present case the housing has one completely open side closed by. a relatively thin plate 44 to which is attached a support 46 for a U-shaped luminescent tube 47 (FIG. 6). The assembly is fastened to the flat side 36 of the hollow bar unit 32 by bolts 48 (FIG. A stabilizing support of relatively flexible spring wire type material is shown at 49 (see particularly FIG. 7) has one bifurcated end 51 which engages the rounded portion of the U-shaped tube 47. The other end is secured to a bracket 52 attached to the base 46.

The device of my present invention may employ either incandescent lamps or luminescent tubes as shown, the latter being preferred. Luminescent tubes require higher voltages but normally substantially less power. Tubes 47 are the common 40-watt type and they are supplied with the required voltage through a transformer or ballast 53 (FIG. 5) supported within the tube comprising the bar unit 32. Normally the ballast 53 which I employ will provide for four tubes 47, but this is a detail which of course will be engineered by those skilled in the art depending upon power requirements.

The symbol 39 may be substantially identical in construction with the letter blocks 41 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This depends somewhat upon the shape and complexity of the advertising portion of the design and to some extent its location with respect to the overall assembly. In FIG. 5 I show part of the unit 39 partly broken away and indicate the use of bolts 48 attaching it to the tube 32. Unit may be lighted and powered with the same type of light 47 previously described and in other respects it may be for all practical purposes the same as the letter blocks 41. Those skilled in the art are of course acquainted with many ways in which housings of this type may be produced very inexpensively from inexpensive plastic materials.

To show the versatility of the device of my invention reference may be made to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the former, the members 32 and 38 are employed exactly as in FIG. 1 but an advertising symbol 56 is here shown in the nature of a small projectile. This type of device also will have a plastic housing and a relatively thin base closing its bottom side indicated generally by the reference character 57. This base may be shaped to replace the top cap 37 for attachment at 58 to the top of the tube 32. The device shown in FIG. 8 may be exactly the same as the device shown in FIG. 1 except for location of the advertising symbol. The device of course may also be produced without the advertising symbol, the luminescent tube means, having a suitable pillar and either continuously lighted or intermittently lighted may be employed alone as an attention getting device.

In FIG. 9 the symbol takes the form of a crown 61 which is secured directly to the top of the tube 32 by a bracket 62 which is designed both to close the bottom opening of the crown 61 and to replace the cap 37 forattachment to the end of the tube 32. In the instance the device may comprise only the crownwith no other tubes or lights of any kind.

When reference was made to luminescent tube means 38 I meant to imply that a single tube 38 might be employed or any desired number of tubes. In the form shown in FIG. 1 the tubes 38 are of a standard six foot length and they are supported by means of attaching brackets 63 which may be of any conventional type. They also of course provide for connecting high voltage to the terminal electrodes of the tube and of course this voltage may be derived from any suitable standard type transformer or ballast supported within the tube 32 shown in FIG. 5. From the description of the tubes 38 as standard six foot tubes, it will be understood of course that the device shown in FIG. 1 is slightly over twelve feet in length. I found this particular dimension very satisfactory for practical display purposes. It has the advantage moreover of permitting the use of two standard tubes which are readily available at a relatively low cost. You can of course also use a multiple of any standard type of tube such as the common 40-watt tube without making it necessary to provide special tube structures. This may also be done however should there be any 0ccasion to do so. While in accordance with the scope of my present invention I may pivot the bar unit at its center or even somewhat above its center, in general better results are obtained pivoting it below its center. Each particular arrangement of lighted devices appears to give its best etfect at a particular setting of the tube assembly, being readily observable that all that is necessary to adjust the position of the tube 32 and the lighted indicia carried thereon is to loosen the bolts 33 and slide it in one direction or another. I always leave enough slack in the electric wires 64 shown in FIG. 2 to enter the tube 32bat the pivot point, to permit vertical adjustment of the tu e.

I am aware that other attention getting devices such as vertically supported poles with flashing arrows have been used to attract attention as well as flashing letters and mechanisms simulating motion within a relatively large housing, but so far as -I am aware no equally attractive versatile attention attracting device comparable to that of the present invention has ever been produced within a fraction of the cost involved in the device of my present invention. In other words the attention arresting character of a relatively simple, relatively inexpensive, relatively highly versatile device such as that shown was entirely unexpected.

I have described my invention in detail so that those skilled in the art may understand the manner of practicing the same, but the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. In an animated advertising and display assembly,

(a) a frame,

(b) a transverse support member horizontally supported on said frame to permit rocking motion thereof,

(c) a cradle in the form of a channel secured intermediate its ends to said transverse support member so as to move therewith,

(d) means including a motor supported on the frame for rocking said transverse support and said cradle,

(e) a generally tubular bar unit clamped to said cradle,

(f) lighted display means distributed along said bar unit, and l us| l (g) means within said bar unit for delivering electric power to said lighted display means.

2. An animated display as defined in claim 1 wherein said rocking means includes (1) a motor driven shaft,

(2) a crank arm secured to said shaft (3) a pin on the cradle spaced from its support, and

(4) a connecting rod between said crank and pin.

3. An animated sign as defined in claim 1 wherein said lighted display means includes a luminescent tube means extending substantially the length of the bar unit in parallel relation therewith.

4. An animated sign as defined in claim 1 wherein said lighted display means includes a series of letters running along the tube.

5. An animated sign as defined in claim 1 wherein said lighted display means includes a symbol of translucent material housing illuminating means therein.

6. An animated advertising and display assembly comprising (a) a base,

(b) means supporting said base above a surface such as a ground surface,

6 (c) a housing, of which said base comprises a bottom within said bar unit, and commercial voltage lines enterpanel, ing said bar unit at its said pivot and running within said (d) an electric motor assembly housing supported on bar unit to said transformer.

said base and having a relatively low speed driven Shaft projecting therefrom, 5 References Cited by the Examiner a y secured to the frame, UNITED STATES PATENTS (f) a rod having its ends supported by said yoke, 1 413 915 4/22 Home (g) '8. sleeve rotatably supported on Said 4 12 29 Price y 40 132 (h) a cradle in the form Of a Chan having a Web 7 0 1 9 De 1:0 139 X cured to said sleeve intermediate said cra le end 10 1871073 8/32 Monheim X (i) 8. crank pin projecting from Said Cradle at Point 2,135,484 11 c u 40 139 Sald f 2,135,914 11/38 Rydberg 40-139 X (J) a crank carried by said driven shaft, 2 245 940 6/41 Seams 40 139 (k) a connecting rod having its ends pivoted to sai 2925676 2/60 Yetman Z crank Pm and crank 15 3,144,133 8/64 Paulos 40-33 X (l) a generally tubular bar unit clamped to said cradle near a lower end thereof, to leave a longer end pro- FOREIGN PATENTS jecting upwardly, and (m) internally lighted advertising and display indicia 596584 8/25 France carried by said upwardly projecting end of said bar OTHER REFERENCES Signs of the Times, Mar. 1963, p. 52, U-shaped Tubes 7. Advertising and display apparatus as defined in at bottom f page claim 6, wherin said lighted indicia includes a relatively high voltage space discharge tube, a transformer supported JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ANIMATED ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY ASSEMBLY, (A) A FRAME, (B) A TRANSVERSE SUPPORT MEMBER HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME TO PERMIT ROCKING MOTION THEREOF, (C) A CRADLE IN THE FORM OF A CHANNEL SECURED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO SAID TRANSVERSE SUPPORT MEMBER SO AS TO MOVE THEREWITH, (D) MEANS INCLUDING A MOTOR SUPPORTED TO THE FRAMED FOR ROCKING SAID TRANSVERSE SUPPORT AND SAID CRADLE, (E) A GENERALLY TUBULAR BAR UNIT CLAMPED TO SAID CRADLE, (F) LIGHTED DISPLAY MEANS DISTRIBUTED ALONG SAID BAR UNIT, AND (G) MEANS WITHIN SAID BAR UNIT FOR DELIVERING ELECTRIC POWER TO SAID TIGHTED DISPLAY MEANS. 